Teen Wounded Outside Amc

Police Seek Culprits In Weekend Shooting At Movie Complex

HAMPTON — Police in Hampton are trying to identify a suspect or suspects responsible for the shooting of a 16-year-old boy Saturday night at AMC Hampton Towne Centre 24 movie complex.

Police said the teenager was shot in the upper thigh about 11:30 p.m. while sitting on a bench in a common area outside the complex. He was taken to a local hospital where he was treated briefly for an injury that wasn't considered to be life threatening, police said.

Investigators are unsure what precipitated the shots. They said the teenager wasn't involved in any dispute before the shooting.

"He was sitting there attending to his own concerns," said Cpl. Jimmie Wideman, a police department spokesman. "A round busts off and everyone started scattering."

Most witnesses simply said they heard gunfire and started running but offered little other information, he said. Police learned that two males were seen running away on foot after the shooting, but they had no clear descriptions of them.

Police released details about the shooting on Tuesday.

An AMC spokesman said the company has concluded that the shooting was an accidental random incident. AMC Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications Richard King said the Hampton AMC has several security guards and will increase patrols in front of the theaters.

Anyone with information can call police at 727-6111 or Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP (1-888-562-5887).

Keith Rushing can be reached at 247-7870 or by e-mail at krushing@dailypress.com